Rubio's call with Aoun: the Hezbollah explosives file and pressure on Israel

⏱️ Timeline

1. 15 Oct 2026, 15:16 Al Jadeed reported an expected call between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the Hezbollah explosives file, and MTV's Washington correspondent said the call would take place at 7:00 pm Beirut time to follow up the latest developments on the Lebanese file.
2. 15 Oct 2026, 20:01 Al Jadeed reported that Aoun sent a message to Rubio during the call urging Washington to exert pressure on Israel and affirming that Lebanon would do its duty. The Lebanese presidency announced that Aoun asked Rubio to press Israel to stop its attacks in southern Lebanon and abide by the framework agreement signed between the two countries last June, to halt bulldozing operations and enable farmers to reach their fields, stressing that the army and security forces are implementing decisions banning armed displays, seizing weapons and combating smuggling.
3. 15 Oct 2026, 23:12 A US State Department official said Secretary Marco Rubio discussed with President Aoun the seizure of hundreds of kilograms of explosives belonging to Hezbollah, urging him to hold accountable all those who ordered, funded and managed the shipment and to control smuggling, stressing that returning the explosives to Hezbollah must be off the table, which MTV described as "not on the table at all". Rubio also raised the 1955 Israel boycott law, calling it impractical, and called for direct military communication between the Lebanese army and the Israeli army.
4. 15 Oct 2026, 23:12 Hezbollah demanded that the Lebanese army release its detained members and return the shipment, and MP Hassan Fadlallah said the explosives were intended for use against the Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon.
5. 16 Oct 2026, 06:57 An-Nahar's "Morning" newsletter covered Hezbollah's escalation in the file of the explosives seized at the Daher el-Baidar checkpoint, its acknowledgement of ownership, its demand for their return and its threats to the authorities, alongside the US call, noting that Hezbollah's campaign coincided with the visit of Iran's deputy foreign minister to Beirut. Independent Arabia reported that the shipment was seized on 8 October, and that similar Iranian contacts included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and a visit to Beirut by his aide Saeed Khatibzadeh.
6. 16 Oct 2026, 07:50 Safir al-Shamal reported that US Ambassador Michel Issa hosted more than twenty MPs at the US embassy to persuade them to adopt a bill cancelling the 1955 Israel boycott law. Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed quoted a US embassy statement saying Rubio discussed this file with Aoun, described the law as impractical and called for direct channels of communication, following a complaint filed against Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamada Moawad.
7. 16 Oct 2026, 14:11 At Baabda Palace, President Joseph Aoun received Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and asked him to continue moving with Arab and friendly countries to press Israel to stop its attacks in the south. The two sides also discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in the energy sector, and Aoun expressed appreciation for Qatar's role in supporting Lebanon and contributing to restoring stability in the region.
8. 16 Oct 2026, 17:14 Asharq Al-Awsat reported intensive diplomatic contacts between Lebanon and friendly countries to keep the country out of the fallout of any regional military escalation, amid fears that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might escalate before the Knesset elections, noting that Aoun discussed in a phone call with Rubio the situation in the south and Israeli attacks, while Washington called for direct communication between the Lebanese and Israeli armies.
9. 16 Oct 2026, 21:00 Youm7 reported the continuation of Israeli air strikes, artillery shelling and house demolitions in southern Lebanon, with Israeli vehicles recorded moving near Ibl al-Saqi, Khiam and Houla. During his visit to Beirut, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani affirmed Qatar's support for the Lebanese state's steps and for the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
10. 17 Oct 2026, 01:32 Asharq Al-Awsat quoted ministerial sources saying President Joseph Aoun led the diplomatic contacts and that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was kept informed as a link between the presidency and Hezbollah, amid Lebanese fears of steps Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might take before the Knesset elections late this month or after them.
11. 17 Oct 2026, 06:30 A Lebanese army unit seized about 200 kilograms of explosive materials in the Qasr – Hermel area, while investigations continue into the smuggling of TNT and C4 from Syria into Lebanon and on to the southern suburbs. Experts say these materials are not suitable for making rocket weapons but for blowing up facilities, digging tunnels and assassinations, amid rising tension between Hezbollah and Iran on one side and the presidency and the government on the other after the decision deeming Hezbollah's weapon illegal.
12. 17 Oct 2026, 09:59 Lebanon's Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation responded to Hezbollah's request to recover the explosives by calling on it to submit a formal request, according to the Lebanon Debate platform.
13. 17 Oct 2026, 14:12 An MTV Lebanon report covered MP Hassan Fadlallah's announcement that the explosives shipment seized on the Daher el-Baidar road belongs to Hezbollah and his demand for the immediate release of the detainees and the return of the vehicle and its load; Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan considered any misstep against the resistance a declaration of an existential war on Lebanon, while legal experts said the government's decision of 2 March 2026 prohibits Hezbollah's military and security activities.

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